Rockets shuffle roster to make cap room for Howard

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On the first day NBA teams were permitted to sign free agents, the Rockets didn’t. They did not forget.

The Rockets can not sign Dwight Howard to fill their cap room until they finish opening enough to fit his four-year, $88 million contract.

They did reach agreement with Reggie Williams on a two-year contract Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The first season is 50 percent guaranteed, and the second isn’t guaranteed. Williams, a 6-6 shooting guard, has made 46 percent of his shots (37.1 percent of his 3s) in four NBA seasons with the Warriors and Bobcats. Actually signing him, or other free agents, will come later.

A done deal

The first step toward getting Howard signed was to complete the trade of Thomas Robinson to the Portland Trail Blazers. That deal was made official Wednesday, with Robinson, the fifth pick in the 2012 draft, going to Portland in exchange for the rights to forward Kostas Papanikolaou and center Marko Todorovic and two second-round picks. The Rockets will get Portland’s pick in 2017 and either Denver’s or Minnesota’s, whichever is better, in 2015.

Papanikolaou, a versatile 6-9 small forward, could be added to next season’s roster depending on other moves and his situation with Olympiacos in Greece, but that is not considered likely.

With that deal complete, the Rockets have to officially complete the trade of Royce White and the rights to Furkan Aldemir to Philadelphia.

They can then sign Howard, but that likely will not come next. To sign second-round pick Isaiah Canaan to a three-year deal (with several team options), they have to sign him into cap room, something they can not do if Howard has filled the cap space.

Howard signing soon

Once the trade of White and the $1.7 million guaranteed on his contract and the signing of Canaan are complete, the Rockets will be ready to sign Howard, expected either Thursday or Friday before a news conference on Saturday. Forward Omri Casspi, guard Francisco Garcia and Williams will be able to sign after that.

Even though Howard has long been the Rockets’ top priority, he could not be on top of their to-do list.